Demonic Bondage

"Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling." Acts 16:16 Scripture makes it clear that demon spirits are real. This girl was a fortune-teller and was obviously very good at it because it says she brought her masters much profit through her fortune-telling, yet it was the demon spirit that empowered her to speak. After it was cast out, she was no longer able to tell fortunes. Notice that what the girl said was accurate: vs 17: "This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, 'These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.'”' So evil spirits can accurately divulge information. But Paul discerned this to be a demon spirit and he cast it out of her. Then she was no longer able to tell fortunes, because her source, the demon, the spirit, was cast out. Today as we draw near to the end of the age, supernaturalism is infesting the entire world. Mediums and channelers are in every city. The book "Harry Potter" opened up witchcraft to our children and many went on to delve more deeply into the world of the occult, opening doors to demonic bondage. The whole realm of the occult is absolutely forbidden to us by the Word of God. It always - ALWAYS - brings a curse on the one delving into any part of it no matter how benign it seems, no matter how "innocent." Satan doesn't care how you open doors to let him in, he only cares that you open them. The Word of God tells us that many times the curse coming upon those who open these doors is so terrible that it is carried down to the third and even the fourth generation of those who involve themselves in it. The most typical effects of the curse are premature death and mental illness. When you see a family with multiple members unexpectedly dying young especially in accidents or suicide, careful investigation will oftentimes reveal that the person or one of his/her parents or grandparents were involved in some form of occultism. When you see a family with multiple members afflicted with mental illness, it is oftentimes traceable to occult involvement. Not always. But many times. Getting free from the curse of these things is often very difficult, the enemy will put up a fight, but it can be done. It necessitates total humility before the Lord, total surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ, and confession of the sins which brought the destruction to the family. The person must rid himself and his home of ALL occult articles, jewelry, and books; these articles are not to be given away lest they spread the curse to someone else, but must be destroyed without regard to the monetary value of them. "And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver." Acts 19:180-19 If you are praying for someone with this kind of affliction, someone whose eyes are blinded from the truth, ask for mercy and pray that the person's eyes be opened because in many cases the afflicted person has been blinded to the Word of God. "...whose minds the god of this age has blinded..." 2nd Corinthians 4:4 It will take a great deal of patience, dedication, and persistence to become free from the influence of these things. The Lord will lead and guide anyone seeking to rid himself of those awful bondages that are holding him IF the person is totally repentant and determined to surrender his entire self and life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1st John 3:8 Jesus came to minister to people like this, he came to heal the brokenhearted, open blind eyes, and set the captive free: "...he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed;" Luke 4:1 Let anyone afflicted in this way stand on this passage and seek the Lord with all of your heart. If you do, you will find him.